


In the Shadows

by BlackCat46



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Creepy, Demon, F/M, Ghosts, Haunting, I had to write this, Scary, Spooky, check the notes, shadow being
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-12-16 23:42:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21044726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCat46/pseuds/BlackCat46
Summary: There's something in the Abernathy household, and whatever it is, it's not friendly.





	In the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, reader. Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy this story, and that you are safe tonight. 
> 
> Just a fair warning, it's creepy in this, so please read at your own risk. I felt a heavy weight on my chest as I wrote it, and I had to write it mostly in daylight. Enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

The shift in the bed jolts Effie awake, her eyes flitting around her bedroom wildly in hopes of finding something to tether her to reality. She sits up, and Haymitch stops dead in the middle of getting up. "Sorry, sweetheart," he mumbles sleepily. "I just need the bathroom."

"It's okay," she breathes. "You go. I'm going to get a glass of water."

"All right, beautiful," he mumbles, then sleepily strokes her hair. "If you wait five minutes, I'll come with you."

"Okay," she murmurs. She usually feels better if he comes with her. Five minutes pass, and she wraps herself in her dressing gown and slippers, the bitter chill of late October too much for her to take nowadays. Cold always reminds her of stone walls and iron bars. Haymitch comes back into the bedroom, seemingly a bit more alert, and offers her his arm. She gladly takes it, snuggling close to his side, and asks "Would you prefer tea, darling? I think it's a little chilly to have a cold drink, don't you?"

"Sure," he says, kissing the top of her head. As soon as they cross the threshold of their bedroom to the upstairs landing, Effie freezes up. "What's wrong, little thing?"

"Nothing," she breathes softly, as if all the air has been sucked from her lungs. "Let's move."

He shrugs her strange behaviour off as just another after effect of a nightmare, and walks with her downstairs. She starts to breathe properly again as they enter their kitchen, and sets about making their tea. "What was that on the landing, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks, picking a muffin out of the fridge.

"I felt something," she says. "It was _heavy_, like a weight on my chest, and _nauseating_. I felt all the hair on my neck stand up. I don't know what it was, but I don't like it."

"Wasn't it just an after effect of your nightmares?" he asks. "Like the panic you have whenever someone makes you jump for a whole day?"

"No," she tells him. "This was worse. It was like being watched as someone drops a thousand pounds worth of steel onto your chest."

"Do you know what that feels like?" Haymitch asks curiously.

"No," she admits. "Okay. Like having someone sit on your stomach."

"Oh," he mutters, taking a bite of his muffin. "What do you think caused it?"

"I don't know," she whispers. "But whatever it was, I don't like it, it makes me feel very uncomfortable."

He chuckles suddenly and jokes "Maybe it was a ghost. It might want to eat your brain."

"That's zombies, not ghosts," Effie huffs, then shudders. "Please don't joke about it. If it _is_ an entity, I'd really rather we _don't_ aggravate it, Haymitch."

"Princess, ghosts don't exist," Haymitch sighs. "And even if they did, why would they be in our house? They've probably got better things to do than watch us for eternity."

"They _do_ exist, Haymitch. You're afraid of your own ghosts, right?" she asks haughtily.

"That's different," he snorts. "They're everyone I've ever failed, and it's my own mind playing tricks on me. Actual ghosts, like the ones in your books and movies, they don't exist. Once you're dead, that's it, you're dead. There's nothing afterwards. Only kids get that afraid of stuff that doesn't exist."

"Is that so?" Effie asks, her back stiffening. "Then _why_ are there so many accounts of spectral sightings? So many stories of paranormal happenings? So many paranormal games gone wrong? So many demons? So much photographic evidence dating back _centuries_ of the afterlife? Haymitch, to deny it all is plain foolish. And this whole District is full of tragedy and untimely death, it makes sense that the people would be restless, and you, the children, and I are all vibrating on such a low level that anything with malicious intent could come and use us as conduits. If it's bad, it's using us, our trauma, and our fear of the unknown to make itself more powerful. Please don't mock it, my love, we don't know what we're dealing with."

"I don't believe in that stuff, Princess," he tells her gently, finishing his muffin off. "And it's all well and good that you do, but try to think logically for a bit, we'll never sleep if you don't."

"But what if we _do_ have something here? It might be very attracted to us. I know our vibrations are low because of our mental states, and malevolent energies feed on that," she protests, pouring their tea. "You can be disbelieving and respectful, Haymitch. Just... For me? Please try to be a little less dismissive, just for my sake. I don't want bad things happening to us over this."

"All right, but only at night," he says. "Just to help you sleep."

She sighs, nods, and starts to stir their tea, murmuring softly under her breath. When she's done, she gives him his mug and says "I charged it with positive energy."

Haymitch visibly fights the urge to roll his eyes, but kisses her anyway. "Thanks, beautiful," he murmurs. "Get yours, we'll enjoy this in bed, where you'll be warm."

They walk upstairs, and Effie immediately tenses as they get to the top. As Haymitch opens their bedroom door, Effie chances a glance behind them, and immediately squeals in horror, her eyes wide. "Do you see that?!" she hisses.

"See what?" he asks, turning around. "There's nothing there."

"It... Haymitch, it has black eyes!" she squeaks. "It's a child, it's whiter than the walls, but with black eyes! It's _smiling_, Haymitch! Get in there!"

He lets her shove him into their room, and she shuts the door, pins herself to it, her back against it, and stares at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Okay, why are you playing silly games at half past three in the morning?" he asks.

"I'm not!" she squeaks. "It's real! It has black hair, black eyes without any whites, it's whiter than a sheet, it's wearing a tattered white nightgown, and its has fang-y teeth like Enobaria's, but longer! You don't understand how scary it is, Squishy! It's the first sighting I've had of it since I first arrived here, and even then, it was only an arm!"

"Princess, you're tired, you're delirious, you need to sleep some more," Haymitch sighs.

"No, I've woken up! I know what I saw!" she squeaks. "Why can't you believe me?!"

"Because this stuff doesn't exist," he sighs. "Come on, Princess, you're too old to be playing up the _too scared of ghosts to sleep_ thing. You know that you won't miss anything, and you know that you're allowed to stay up on your own if you choose to."

"I don't want to stay awake, especially not on my own!" she squeaks sadly. "I really don't feel safe, Squishy. I know I saw it, and I know it's there. You don't have to believe me, see if I care, but please try to refrain from mocking it or me. I wouldn't mock you if you felt this uncomfortable."

He sighs, then shrugs. "Fine. Fine. You want me to pretend along with you, fine," he says. "As long as we get some sleep tonight, I don't care," he huffs, then puts his mug down on the bedside table. "Are you angry enough at me to decline hugs?"

"I would be, under normal circumstances," she whispers, visibly shaking. "But right now, a hug would be nice."

She puts her own mug down and tucks herself under Haymitch's chin, wrapping her arms around him, shaking violently. "Are you cold?" he asks.

"Not really," she murmurs. "Scared."

"Okay," he sighs, then pulls her into their bed, wrapping them both in their duvet. He wraps his legs around hers, keeping her tightly wrapped in his arms, and presses a kiss to her neck. "You're safe with me, little one. I won't let anything scary get you. You're okay."

He continues murmuring reassurances to her until she falls asleep, her cheek pressed firmly to his chest.

* * *

_Twelve hours later_

* * *

"So she said she saw a small child with black eyes?" Katniss asks, tapping on the forest green tablet Effie had given to her for her last birthday. "In a white gown?"

"Tattered," Haymitch mutters, sipping on his coffee. "The woman's losing it. She thinks there's some kind of negative energy or whatever in the house, and that it's coming for her. She was up at dawn, sobbing her little heart out and saying _it's brought friends, Haymitch, it's coming for us_. I reckon we should call Doctor Aurelius again, get Effie's head checked."

Katniss shrugs and says "I don't know, Haymitch. These things are pretty well documented, and I feel really unwell looking at these pictures. Where's Effie? We could get her to identify it."

"Effie!" Haymitch bellows. "Get down here!"

Effie stumbles through the living room door, and squeaks "Look at my shins!"

Haymitch and Katniss both drop their gazes to Effie's shins, seeing bruises and scratches all over them. "What did you do?" Haymitch asks.

"I didn't!" Effie squeals. "I didn't do anything! I was just doing my thing, squishing about in our room, changing sheets, dusting, then I bent down to pick up a pillow, and saw this mess! I didn't have them when I walked upstairs!"

"Are you sure you didn't fall?" Haymitch asks, getting up to help her to the sofa.

"I think I'd know if I'd fallen, you'd have heard me, and there's nothing up there that could do this to me," she huffs, allowing him to help her sit down. "I think we need help, my love."

"Effie, take a look at this and tell me if it's like what you saw," Katniss says, showing Effie the tablet.

Effie goes a pale shade of green when she sees the image. "Yes," she chokes. "Like that."

"That's it, then," Katniss says. "You have one in your home. It's supposed to make you feel really unwell when you see one, and the presence of it in your home will make you uncomfortable if you're sensitive to them."

"Are _you_ sensitive to them, Katniss?" Effie asks softly.

"Nope. As far as I knew until Haymitch told me about what happened to you last night, there was nothing other than you two here," Katniss says. "And as far as I can tell, there still isn't anything other than you."

"I knew nobody would believe me," Effie says sadly. "I just _knew_ you wouldn't. You both think I'm crazy, don't you? Be honest."

"Not crazy," Katniss says gently. "Overimaginative and easily spooked, yeah, but not crazy."

"Crazy would be you thinking you saw a talking unicorn spinning a web of cat fur on the ceiling," Haymitch says. "This is just you dreaming stuff up and being scared by your brain."

Effie looks close to tears, and asks, her voice thick and tearful, "Why can't you see that I'm being serious, Haymitch? Why is the evidence of this not compelling to you? It's not _safe_, I don't feel safe, and how is this not terrifying you too? Why won't anyone believe me?"

"Because, sweetheart, it's ridiculous," Haymitch tells her. "I'm not saying it to upset you, or to hurt you, but these are urban legends. You probably read it somewhere, and it spooked you into thinking it's real and here. You're scared of something you're imagining."

"I'm not imagining this!" Effie squeaks loudly, fighting back her tears. "I'm not! It was there, it was real, and it doesn't like me! It's going to keep coming back, and all because it's not a nice thing!"

"Effie, breathe," Katniss says, grabbing Effie's hands. "Breathe."

"Do you believe me?" Effie asks, clinging to Katniss.

"I don't have any evidence to prove either of us right, Effie, but I believe that you saw what you saw. The pictures I saw were enough to make me uneasy and sick, so I believe that you saw one. I don't know if it was real or if you were dreaming, but you did see it, and that's what counts," Katniss says. "Come on, breathe. You're going to make yourself sick if you keep hyperventilating."

It doesn't stop Effie's tears, despite her breathing as regularly as she can between sobs, and eventually, she takes her hands away from Katniss's to curl up and cry into her bruised knees. "Come here, sweetheart," Haymitch murmurs, sitting beside her and hugging her close. "It's okay. No matter what I think of this, anything that wants you has to get through me first. You'll be safe from anything bad with me. All right?"

The front door opens, and Peeta calls "Anyone home?"

"We're in the living room!" Katniss calls back.

Peeta walks in on the scene and sighs "Okay, what's happened now?"

"Effie's spooked," Katniss tells him. "She claims to have seen a ghost or something, and it's terrified her."

"And you two have been completely insensitive," Peeta scoffs. 

"Not completely," Haymitch says. "The girl's been nice."

Peeta rolls his eyes and says "Tell me what it looks like, Effie. We'll go up there in a minute to see if we can sense it."

"It's short, it has long-ish black hair, it's whiter than sheets, it has very dark black eyes without any whites to them, and it has fangs like Enobaria's, but worse," she tells him softly. "It's dressed in a long, white nightgown that's all shredded."

Her face goes a very pale shade of green as she remembers it, and she shudders. Recognition has lit up Peeta's face, and he says "I know the sort of thing you mean, someone in the psychiatric ward at the hospital told me about them. Apparently, they've been about for centuries. They're not always cruel, though, sometimes they're just scary. You've probably got one of those."

"You believe me?" Effie asks quietly.

"Yeah," Peeta says, to the incredulous stares of Haymitch and Katniss. "You wouldn't be this distressed if it wasn't real. So I believe you."

"Thank you," she murmurs, smiling sadly. "Can we go and check?"

Peeta nods and gently takes Effie's hand, leading her upstairs. Katniss and Haymitch follow behind, eager to see if there's anything up there. Upstairs, Effie swallows hard, and imperceptibly moves closer to Peeta. He gives her a reassuring squeeze of her hand, and she whispers "I can feel it around us, but I don't see it. Do you feel it?"

Haymitch and Katniss shake their heads, and Peeta says "I can't feel anything around us, but I do feel heavy, like something's pressing on my chest."

"It does that," Effie breathes. "It makes pressure on lungs, and sick feelings all the way to the stomach. If it shows, it sends fear right to your core."

"Whatever's in here, you're not welcome," Peeta says. "Your presence is unwanted, and your invitation to be here is void. Get out of this house, and don't come back."

The pressure alleviates, but Effie has a sneaking suspicion that it'll be back. "Thank you," she whispers. "For getting rid of it."

* * *

A few days of pure bliss follow, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. Haymitch has started to relax, thinking that Effie's imagination has been put at rest for the time being, and he smiles easily when she appears in the doorway, quieter than a cemetery. "Hey, Princess. Coming to sit down?" he asks, patting the seat next to him. There's no response from her aside from the soft pattering of her feet as she makes her way to his side. He looks up to see her pale face pinched with terror, and asks "Okay, what's up?"

"It's back," she whispers, shaking. "I just saw it on the stairs, it was just _watching_ me, but this time, it wasn't smiling. It looked _angry_. Like we insulted it by telling it that it's unwanted."

"Sweetheart, this again?" he asks, sinking back into his seat. "I thought we were done with this."

"So did I," she whispers. "Clearly not, though. It's back, and it's _angry_."

"You're being stupid," he tells her. "You're too old for this sort of nonsense. If you want my attention, just cuddle up to me and say that you want attention."

"But I don't want your attention! I want you to _care_! We're being haunted, Squishy. Why can't you just believe me? If I wanted your attention this badly, I'd walk in here naked," she whines. 

"If I play along, will you shut up?" he asks, irritated by her insistence. 

She gives him a heartbroken look and gets up. "I'm not asking a lot of you, Haymitch," she whispers sadly. "I just want you to believe me. If you don't, then fine, but please don't be nasty to me for trying to tell you what I've seen. You did say I could tell you anything."

He shrugs and says "I'm not saying you can't tell me anything, I'm saying don't get worked up over something that doesn't exist and can't hurt you."

"But it _has_ hurt me," she says softly. "It shredded my legs. I don't hurt myself intentionally."

"Sweetheart, you're a clumsy thing," he tells her gently. "It's not a ghost, it's just you getting scraped."

"I don't know why I'm even bothering," Effie sighs. "You never believe me when my views differ from yours. You always just put it down to me being stupid, and usually, I'm proven right."

"Princess, you know as well as I do that ghosts don't exist," Haymitch groans. "Why do you keep insisting that they do?"

She doesn't even bother to reply to him, just stomps off upstairs. She gets upstairs, and immediately freezes upon seeing the transparent, shining white figure with black eyes in her bedroom doorway. "Not now! Go haunt my husband, he doesn't think you exist, you horrid thing, and I am not in the mood for you," she tells it.

The apparition smiles, showing all of its fangs to her in a hauntingly eerie fashion, and the sight sends chills down Effie's spine. She shakes her head a little, and the apparation lunges for her. Letting out a throat-burning screech, Effie dives into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her, and curls up in the empty bathtub, crying and shaking, unable to get a proper breath in. She can hear faint, cruel laughter, and it makes her cry harder. The door opens, and she lets out another scream, curling in on herself. "Why are you screaming?" Haymitch asks.

She sobs harder and harder, shaking hard enough to rattle the tub where it stands. Haymitch picks her up and cuddles her close, stroking her hair. "It came at me," she sobs. "It was waiting for me. I told it to come down to you, seeing as you don't believe in it, and it smiled at me, then it _came at me_. It was laughing at me. It knows you don't believe me, and you won't ever unless it really badly hurts me. It's horrible, Haymitch. It hates me."

He cuddles her harder, not even trying to argue with her while she's in such a mess, and asks "How can I make sure you feel safe again?"

"Get rid of it!" she wails. "It's horrid! It's trying to scare me, and it's working!"

He kisses her head, then adjusts his grip on her to carry her out of the bathroom, and notices that his arm feels damp. He looks down and gapes at the amount of blood all over his arm. "Sweetheart, did you cut your legs when you jumped in here?" he asks softly.

"No," she whimpers. "I landed perfectly happily, no bashing or scraping. You'd have heard the thuds."

Haymitch sighs, then takes her to their room and puts her on their bed. "Sit here," he tells her quietly, going to get their first aid kit. He returns to find her holding onto the bear she's kept with her for as long as either of them can remember, curled up, and sobbing like a terrified child. "Okay, Princess, we'll clean your legs up. Then we're going to have a talk about you and this new thing you're developing."

"It's not an old Polaroid camera," she sniffs. "I don't have to _develop_ it. It's real, Haymitch, and I don't like it. It's starting to hurt me, and I don't want it to start hurting you too."

"It won't, sweetheart," he sighs. "Things that don't exist can't hurt you."

"Then explain this!" she sobs. "Explain the state my legs are in!"

"You could have done this yourself and not noticed," he tells her. "You're clumsy enough, and a forgetful little thing when you don't think things are important."

She suddenly swings her legs away from him and stands up. "I hate it. Why can't you ever take me seriously? When have I ever made things like this up? And when have I ever dragged a joke out like this? When have any of my jokes ever been _this_ distressing?" she demands. "And _why_ would I keep trying the same joke when you've told me you don't believe me? I wouldn't do that, you know I hate being dismissed or shouted at. So why won't you believe me?"

"Because ghosts and demons and all that stuff just _don't exist_," he sighs. "There's a logical explanation to it all, and you're acting irrationally."

The pure heartbreak flits across her face for a split second, before she replaces it with a neutral mask, one he loathes. "Okay," she says coolly. "Then I won't bother you with what's right in front of us, and clearly hates us. But don't come running to me when you see it and it spooks you."

"Okay," he replies. "I won't see it, so I don't need to worry."

* * *

For a week or so, nothing changes. Effie seems relatively normal to Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta, and doesn't say a word about the apparition, or the scratching and bruising that are now all over her legs, arms, and face. She's starting to wear longer clothing to cover the injuries, and more makeup to conceal the damage done to her face, but she never says a word on it. During dinner one evening, Peeta asks "So, Effie, want to explain that black eye?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she dismisses airily. "Just me being clumsy and forgetful. I must have fallen on a door handle and nearly torn my eye out, then forgotten about getting it. I don't know."

"She's still convinced that there's something lurking on our landing," Haymitch tells him. "Not sure how she's quietly beating the hell out of herself in the middle of the night though."

"It's probably just me being very clumsy, even in my sleep," Effie huffs. "You know, the _only logical explanation_, definitely just a clumsy little Effie beating herself up in the night, nothing _paranormal_ trying to _kill us both_. No, it's definitely attention seeking."

"Glad you're admitting it," Haymitch says.

Effie rolls her eyes, but says nothing, focusing instead on her food, her lower lip captured between her teeth. "So how _are_ you getting injured, Effie?" Peeta asks.

"I don't know," she tells him quietly. "I've promised I won't talk about my theory behind it, so I'm not sure. It's okay, though. I can live with it."

"Haymitch isn't hitting you, is he?" Katniss asks.

"No," Effie tells her firmly, leaving no room for arguments. "He wouldn't ever do that to me, and I'm appalled that you think he would, Katniss. There's nothing I'm more sure of than being safe with him."

Haymitch puts his fork down and gently squeezes Effie's small shoulder before returning to his dinner. "So what could cause this?" Katniss asks. "You look like something out of the arena. Pasty, haunted, badly beaten, and terrified."

"Thank you," Effie huffs. "It's always wonderful to be told how awful I look. Like I say, I've sworn off talking about my thoughts on this, so we're putting it down to me being clumsy and forgetful."

"I didn't say you couldn't talk about it," Haymitch reminds her. "I just said I don't believe in it, and I think you're overreacting to your imagination. You said you weren't going to talk to me about it again, and not to come to you if I saw the figment of your imagination and got scared by it, which I won't be able to do, because it's _your_ imagination, not mine."

"Whichever way around it went, and you were a lot nastier about it than that, I won't discuss it around you," she huffs. "Kindly pop upstairs for me and get the pink gift bag out of my half of the closet, will you?"

"Sure," he sighs, placing his fork back on his now-empty plate. "Kids, make sure the pretty thing clears her plate, will you?"

Katniss and Peeta nod, aware of Effie's tendency to avoid eating as much as she needs, and continue to eat their own food as Haymitch kisses the top of Effie's head and leaves the room. The kitchen remains silent for a few minutes, until Effie visibly stiffens and breathes _"Squishy."_

She runs from the table and all the way upstairs before the younger couple can even look up from their food. Upstairs, Haymitch is stood gaping at the empty landing, pale and visibly shaken up. "Eff? Did you put a hologram up here or something?" he asks. "One of those things people in the Capitol use?"

"No," she says, then wraps her arms around him. "What did you see?"

"I don't know," he whispers, hugging her back. "Smallish, whiter than the walls, kind of like what you described, black eyes."

Effie tenses and asks "What was it doing, Squishy?"

"Just... Stood there. It started advancing when you threw your chair," he says. "I just felt rooted to the spot."

"It does that," Effie breathes. "It did it to me, that day I jumped into the bathtub. Do you believe me yet?"

"Well, after that, I don't get much choice, do I?" he asks. "Did you get someone else to put a hologram up here?"

"When would I have done that?" she scoffs. "How would I have done that? I'm small, not invisible, and you can guarantee I wouldn't get someone else in here without you noticing them. Let's get that bag and go. I don't like hovering around up here, and it's _cold_ as fluff."

Haymitch nods, then gives her a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, sweetheart," he murmurs. "It just never seemed possible."

"Well, you know me, always full of so much nonsense, you can't take my crazy seriously," she mumbles, nuzzling his chest. "Next time, don't doubt my tiny brain, okay?"

"Got you," he murmurs, still shaken up and entranced by the apparition that's suddenly and drastically changed his belief in ghosts and the like. "So that tiny thing has been beating you senseless?"

"Yes," Effie whispers, pushing him into their bedroom and sitting him down on their bed. "Are you okay, or are you going into shock?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," he tells her quietly, wrapping his arms around her waist only to draw back at her wince. "What did it do to you?"

"It's nothing," she says softly. "I woke up with a big bruise all down my left side this morning. Nothing worth paying any attention to."

She darts to the closet and pulls the bag out of it, examining the contents thoroughly, then nods. Haymitch asks "How bad is the bruising?"

"Not very. It's just _big_, it's not dangerous," she tells him. "Not to worry. Do you think you can walk?"

He nods and wraps his arm around her shoulders, effectively tucking her under his arm, and presses a kiss to her head. "Try to stick to me, yeah?" he murmurs. "I don't want that thing shoving you down the stairs."

Effie nods and snuggles against his side, clutching the bag in her free hand, wrapping the other around Haymitch's waist. They walk cautiously on the staircase, both fearing for the other's safety, and approach the kitchen warily, and breathing a sigh of relief when the only faces that meet them are those of Katniss and Peeta, both confused and worried. "What was that about?" Peeta asks. 

"What?" Haymitch asks.

"Effie. She was all quiet while we waited for you, and out of nowhere, she bolted up and ran off," Peeta says. "Something about you."

"Yeah," Haymitch sighs, flopping down in his seat. "She's right, and I'm an idiot."

"We know that, but what do you mean, she's right?" Katniss asks, blinking at him.

Haymitch flips his middle finger up at her, earning himself a glare from Effie, then mutters "She's not made it up. There's something up there, and whatever it is, it's got it out for her. She wasn't making it all up. There really is something creepy with black eyes waiting in that hall and beating her up, and it's not nice."

"Has she slipped you a crazy pill?" Katniss asks, her eyebrows shooting upwards.

"No," Effie sighs. "It's real. He's seen it now, he knows."

"How did you even know he'd seen it?" Peeta asks.

Effie swallows and says "I'll add to the crazy factor, I can hear it. It laughed at me when none of you believed me, it knew it was isolating me from you all. And when Squishy reached the top of the stairs and stopped, it started laughing again. There was no _way_ I was letting that thing hurt him. If it starts laughing, I know I can't trust it, and I refuse to let it hurt Haymitch or you two. No way."

"It's already hurting you, who's to say it won't come for us?" Haymitch mutters.

"I'm saying it won't," Effie snarls. "I'll astral-smack that thing into next month if it touches any of you. It's not allowed near you, and it knows that."

"So why's it hurting you?" he asks, reaching for Effie's hand. "It should know better than to touch you."

Katniss groans and asks "Sorry, but when did you hop on board the train to Crazytown?"

"About five minutes ago when I saw that thing up there," Haymitch tells her wearily. "I shouldn't have doubted her, she's got brilliant instincts. You know I've been against humouring her this far, why would I join in now? I've been telling her she's mad for over a week straight. I didn't even believe her. It'd take some doing to get me to play along now."

"He did see it," Effie tells her. "There's a horrid energy up there, and the look of fear on his face was only ever truly matched by those facing a brutal death. I'm thinking we need to hire someone to get rid of it for us."

As if on cue, a cupboard door across the room opens silently, not even slightly alerting the four people at the dinner table to its movement, and slams shut, creating a loud bang that startles all four of them. Haymitch immediately moves to shield Effie, who grabs him and holds him to her. "What now?" he murmurs into her ear.

"Get the kids out," she breathes. "Get the kids out, go through the back door."

She forcefully yanks the back door open and urges Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch through it. The younger couple leave the house immediately, but Haymitch remains firmly by his wife's side. "I'm not going," he tells her, kissing her head. "I'm staying with you."

"No," she whispers. "Get out of here. I don't want you caught in it."

"What, and I'm meant to let you stay here with something that wants you dead?" he asks scornfully. "Sorry, sweetheart, but that's not happening. We're dealing with it together, or we're leaving together."

She kisses him hard and says "Okay, then get out of harm's way. I want you where you'll be safe."

He stands right next to her and says "No safer place than next to my angry Princess."

She grins at him and watches as a plate comes flying at their heads. They duck, and Effie asks "Do you want to go now?"

"Not a chance," Haymitch mutters as another plate comes whizzing at them, and the two dodge it. "Damn, it can _throw_."

A bowl comes next, forcing them to jump aside. "I won't blame you if you do," Effie squeaks.

"No," Haymitch mutters. "Not leaving my pretty thing."

Effie catches the plate in mid-air and loudly commands "Show yourself!" Nothing happens, and she bristles. "I am warning you! Show yourself!"

A soft _"Or what?"_ comes from the empty space around them.

"Or we go out of here and get someone to forcefully evict you from our home. Now _show yourself_!" she orders.

A small figure slowly takes shape in front of them, nauseating them both as it does, and it looks up at Effie with dangerously glinting black eyes. Haymitch feels the overwhelming urge to be sick as his lungs struggle for air. "Princess," he chokes out.

"Let him breathe," Effie orders softly, kneeling in front of the small, terrifying figure. "Do as I say. You are, after all, in a home that is not yours."

The small figure sighs, and Haymitch relaxes. "Thanks," he mutters, contemplating how odd his day has become.

"Now, listen to me," Effie tells the small child-demon. "I don't know very much about you, or what your intent is, but I don't particularly like what you're doing to us, and I am not appreciative of all the beatings, the terrorism, you attacking my husband, trying to separate us, and trying to kill us with our own plates. Now, I have been tolerant of you hurting me, but this is going too far. I will help you leave, whether it's just this home or this limbo you've seemingly become trapped in, but I don't want any more trouble with you. We don't have bad intentions toward you, and we'd really much rather you didn't have bad intentions toward us."

It gives her a chilling smile, and asks "What if I refuse to go?"

"Then I will be forced to call someone professional to remove you," Effie says gently. "I don't want it to come to that. We could try to do this respectfully. You have no invitation to be here, and it isn't fair to force your presence on someone. We wouldn't mind you being here if you weren't trying to scare us and come between us."

Haymitch says "What she's saying, kid, is that you're not wanted, and you can use this door to get the hell out of our home."

"Respect, darling, have you never heard the word?" Effie asks.

"I've heard the word, I've just never practiced it," he scoffs. "Look, tinier thing, we appreciate your interest, but we don't need it. If we wanted kids in the house, we'd make some, and we haven't."

"It's not... Well... Please could you leave?" Effie asks gently. "We do appreciate the interest, but we're not quite ready to look after anyone who needs us, especially not someone stronger and more ethereal than ourselves. I hate to throw you out, and if we could promise a good life for you, we'd let you stay, but we can't. Actually, I know the _perfect_ place for you!"

"Huh?" Haymitch asks.

"Come!" Effie says, extending her hand. "Come with me. I know the perfect home for you."

The entity willingly takes her hand, and Haymitch follows Effie and the demon-child out. Effie leads the entity to a house that Haymitch vaguely recognises. "Eff, you know who lives here?" he asks quietly.

"Yes," Effie says simply. "Now. When they open the front door, you slip in, and you don't leave for anything. Get me? Keep bothering them, where ever they go."

The entity grins, and Effie knocks on the door, then stands and smiles as it opens. "You," the big, muscular man spits as soon as he lays eye on her. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Effie says, smiling warmly. "I must have got the wrong house. Oh, well. Sorry to have bothered you."

She saunters away, locking her arm in Haymitch's, and grins as the man yells in horror. "Who the hell is that guy?" Haymitch asks.

"When I first arrived here, he's the man who verbally abused you and tripped me up in the store," she says. "I've known where he lives for a _long_ time, and I know he hasn't got family. That means that he's the ideal target for a demon. Full of negativity, and all alone."

"You're nasty," he tells her.

"Would you rather we had it throwing plates at our heads and beating us up all night for the rest of our lives?" she asks.

"No," he begrudgingly admits.

"Then we're okay," she says. "Now, let's get those children of ours and have our dessert."

"How are you so calm?" he asks, kissing her head. "This has been the weirdest day of our lives, and that's saying something."

She shrugs and says "I'm just glad that we're all okay."

When they arrive back at their own home, Katniss and Peeta are stood in their kitchen, sweeping up broken ceramics from the floor. "Hey," Haymitch sighs.

"What happened?" Peeta asks.

Effie recounts the tale, and Katniss asks "You unleashed a strong and dangerous demon on some unsuspecting guy?"

"He verbally abused Haymitch for bringing me in, and he tripped me in a store. He even has anti-Mockingjay and pro-Snow propaganda up," Effie says. "I'm thinking yes. Besides, we're safe, and that demon has a home. Job well done, in my opinion. Now, let's get to that cake."

"You're not worried that you might kill a man? Or that it might have repercussions for you?" Peeta asks.

"No, it won't kill him," Effie says. "And even if it did, I wouldn't have killed him, the demon would. And nobody would believe him saying a demon child was attempting on his life now, would they? No. Nobody but the four of us would believe it, and he hates us all anyway."

"You're horrible," Katniss tells her, shrugging.

"Maybe so, but it only endangers one person, and that person is a nasty one anyway. I've seen him punch babies and kick kittens," Effie tells her flippantly. "I'd much rather it was him than any of us, and I don't regret it. Nor do I care if it makes me a horrid person, because I'm seeing my family safe, and I only care about you three anyway."

Haymitch shrugs and says "Princess is usually the one to find the least damaging ways to work things. Let's have some cake, I could do with something sweet after all the weird that's happened today."

Effie smiles and says "Well, you know, tomorrow's Halloween, darling. Who knows, maybe things will get spooky."

Peeta laughs and says "You two seem to have had enough spooky to last you a lifetime."

"Damn right," Haymitch grumbles. "I just want a night in with a trash movie on, some candy, and Effie in that nice see-through lingerie."

"Oh, _come on!_" Katniss and Peeta wail. "Do you _have_ to give us nightmares?!"

"Excuse me, I am _not_ that bad to look at!" Effie exclaims. "And I happen to like the way he looks at me when I wear that. No more spooky tomorrow, Squishy, I promise. Candy and sexy underwear all the way."

"Thanks," Haymitch chuckles. "Kids, if I were you, on November first, I'd avoid all our surfaces."

Both Katniss and Peeta bolt from the house, and Effie grins at Haymitch. "All our surfaces?" she asks hopefully.

He grins and kisses her gently. "Each and every one," he promises quietly.

* * *

_Halloween night_

* * *

"Have you found the movie?" Effie asks, throwing her shirt aside.

"Yeah, it's here!" Haymitch calls. "Are you in your underwear?"

"Absolutely!" Effie giggles. "No point in me having clothes on, we're defiling our entire house tonight!"

As she strolls into the living room, there's a loud knock at the door, and Effie strolls to answer it, careless of her scant clothing, only expecting to see Katniss or Peeta. She opens the door to see the man she'd dropped the demon off with, his eyes full of fury and fear. "You," he snarls. "What did you do?"

"My husband," Effie deadpans. "You're a bit old to be trick or treating, aren't you?"

"What did you leave in my home?" he growls. 

"You," she tells him. "Look, it's cold, and as you can probably tell, I wasn't expecting a visitor. My husband and I are ready for bed. Unless this is an emergency, I'm not interested."

"Look, lady, I don't know what kind of witchcraft you've done, but get it out of my house," he snarls at her.

"I haven't done anything," Effie tells him, folding her arms. "And I wouldn't waste energy on you even if I could. Kindly leave me alone now. Goodbye."

She starts to close the door, and he says "Lady, you have to take it. It's horrible. It keeps hovering over my bed."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Effie tells him. "Sorry. Go home. Your thing, your problem."

She closes the door on him and goes to Haymitch, who asks "You didn't answer the door like that, did you?"

"It was only the guy we gave a demon to," Effie says. "It knows it's to torment him."

"What was he doing?" Haymitch asks.

"Accusing me of witchcraft," Effie says. "Didn't even glance at my cleavage once. I'd expected that. Anyway, no matter. I told him I don't know what he's on about. Now, you, lie down there, and let me kiss you."

He laughs and kisses her as their movie starts on the television screen, both ready to enjoy their newly ghost-free home, when a loud thump comes from upstairs. "That'd better be a burglar," Haymitch mutters.

"I hope so," Effie murmurs, kissing him again. She could deal with a ghost later. Right now, though, she's determined to enjoy being with Haymitch. The spirit world can wait. And wait it will, forever lurking in the shadowy corners, out of the corners of their eyes, in the room as the light goes out, and maybe even right behind them. Just waiting for the right moment.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, thank you for reading. I hope you're okay. Now that we're here, I'd like to tell you that this story is based and expanded upon a real story. The real spirit is not as malevolent as the one here, but it does have the same nauseating, fear-inducing effects, and it can root you to the spot. However, the real one doesn't beat anyone up, so there's that! If you'd like to know more, I'd recommend researching the entity mentioned, preferably when you're out of the building you live in. Also, this isn't researched, it's mostly fictitious with what's real as a basis, so this doesn't hold very much realism with how to deal with this particular spirit, nor does it hold much accurate description of how to deal with it. These spirits are better left unattended in my experience, so please don't attempt what's seen in here, and just know that if it's happened to you, or is happening to you, you're not alone.
> 
> If there's anything you'd like to say, be it constructive criticism, advice, or opinions on the story overall, let me know, and if you have any questions for me, feel free to ask.
> 
> I hope you are all well, having a great Halloween, please stay safe, and I hope to see you in another story. All my love and good vibrations to you. Cat xxx


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